Tuesday, February 27, 2007

This is a painting that I did using a photograph from the Oprah website of when she went toSouth Africa

for the Christmas Kindness show. It is a water color and I won Honorable Mention at a juried art show with the Portsmouth Arts Guild in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.

Lines from the movie, Amazing Grace:

“……and you still have passion. That matters more.” Barbara to William Wilberforce

“Great men are spoken about when it’s to do with violence, such as Napoleon and return to pomp. Rarely do they speak of men of peace. William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family with head on pillow, knowing the slave trade is no more – making a better world.….” Thomas Clarkson

I love this movie, AMAZING GRACE, so-o much. The cast, the story, the acting, the music. I majored in music because of what it does to my soul. I have my B.S. and M.M. in music. And it is not the degrees that I have, but the power of music that reaches in and takes a hold of me like nothing else. I remember as a young person sitting in church and sometimes I didn’t listen to the sermon, but the songs were what grabbed a hold of my spirit and moved me. And it’s no different today. I love, love, love music. I am the music and the music is me. I know that I am a passionate person. More than others. People let me know this continually by their reaction to my passionate way of emoting and being. Some may not feel . . . I don’t know, maybe, comfortable around such passion – but others seem to be drawn to it. I can’t be any other way.

I love who I am and my passionate way of living my life is a huge part of that. I am speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Channing Memorial Church March 18 and yesterday I met with the two who are in charge of planning the entire service for two hours after a very interesting all music church service. This is a Unitarian Church so the music included songs such as Embraceable You, Imagine, Standing in the Need of Prayer, Over the Rainbow, Take Five, Catch a Falling Star, Nine Ma Tov and a trumpet solo playing Taps! Anyway, I will be the guest speaker on the 18th of March and the topic is Darfur and the Genocide. My passion was seemingly too much for one of the participants, however I have witnessed her in an altered state of excitement at one time, so I’m not sure what it all meant that she didn’t welcome my spirit of joy. I am so happy in my life and it shows. When I left I heard myself softly say to myself, “Well, I don’t care if she doesn’t like my happiness, I like my happiness.” I am doing what I feel destined to do in speaking out against the genocide and when aligned with the universe, I think the happiness just comes from the well of just-being-all-right-with-LIFE.

I found this wonderful Youtube video tonight. I have been looking since I saw AMAZING GRACE last Friday, February 23, opening day of the movie here in the United States for a special video of this song. See if you like this.

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About Me

I love my life. I love where I live. And I am passionate about my passions. I love to dance. Necessary to live: music, piano, singing, writing, acting, painting.
I have been fighting for and supporting the arts all my adult life. Since 2004, I have been working with other activists to end the Darfur genocide.
I have traveled to Europe many times since my early twenties. Places I have been: many USA states including Hawaii, Montreal, Canada, Barbados, France, Spain, Luxembourg, England, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and Germany - and have wonderful memories.
My last trip was in May - June 2013 to Spain.
I would like to travel to Europe and Kyoto, Japan.
I love the southwest where I have visited Hopi, Navajo, Zia and San Idlefonso potters.
Life is exciting and I intend to live it full-out to the end.
B.S. and M.M., both in music

Genocide is not only a word,
it is crying of the whole human race.
There is nothing redeeming about being silent
when speaking up is the humane thing to do.
The honor and integrity of the human race is at stake.

"...And these for whom life has no repose, live at times in their rare moments of happiness with such strength and indescribable beauty, the spray of their moment's happiness is flung so high and dazzingly over the wide sea of suffering, that the light of it, spreading its radiance, touches others too with its enchantment..." Hemann Hesse STEPPENWOLF